Can I use a Giant Yukon for road cycling?

I was looking at this photo—and I mean, really looking at it, staring into the soul of the machinery—and I couldn’t help but wonder: where does the obsession end? It’s just a bike, right? A rugged, high-performance mountain bike, looks like something you'd see being pushed to its limits on some dusty trail out near Sedona or maybe deep in the Rockies. But for some of us, it’s never "just" anything. It’s funny, isn't it? How we obsess over these specific specs, these frames, these tiny little details that most people wouldn't give a second thought to. Is it a pursuit of perfection, or are we all just chasing a feeling that stays just out of reach once the ride is over? I find myself spiraling down these rabbit holes—looking at gear, comparing components, wondering if a different suspension setup would change the very essence of the experience—and then I realize I've spent three hours staring at a single JPEG. Does anyone else feel that pull? Or am I just losing my mind in the pursuit of the perfect downhill run?

So, I’ve been looking at this specific bike—you know the one—and I spent some time browsing the tire selection over at REI. I stumbled upon these road tires that have a tread profile somewhere between 1.2 and 1.5. It got me thinking... does anyone here actually have hands-on experience with a conversion like this? Specifically, taking an MTB and trying to pivot it into something more akin to a trekking or hybrid bike just by swapping out the rubber? Is it even worth the headache, or am I just chasing a phantom efficiency that isn't actually there?

It’s not a bad move, but just keep in mind you're gonna lose about half an inch in bottom bracket height and end up with worse gearing for the pavement.

If you've got the itch and the cash, maybe look into trying out 28" wheels first. If they actually fit your frame, go for it.

Dana White53 said:http://www.highflow.com/scott/bike/i...t_Yukon_Lg.jpg

This is the bike I'm talking about. I was browsing through some tires at a local REI, and I spotted some road-style tires with a light 1.2-1.5 tread profile. Has anyone here actually tried converting an MTB into more of a trekking or hybrid style bike just by swapping out the rubber?

I actually did that exact same thing on my old bike. 🙄
The problem was it ended up in pretty bad hands 😠 so I don't have much technical experience to draw from. I did manage to get rid of that heavy, "tractor-like" feeling when riding on the pavement, but you really need to be specific—what exactly is your end goal?
Without knowing what you're aiming for, it's hard to know which direction to take.

Look, my goal is just to snag a bike that handles city streets decently and can maybe tackle some short weekend trips—but let’s be real, my budget is pretty tight. :/ I actually really dig this whole idea of going with larger wheels, so I'm going to do some digging and see what's out there... the only catch is that once you start looking at those options, you quickly drift way past the "budget-friendly" zone. 🙂

You aren't going to be able to fit 28-inch wheels on a Yukon, so you might want to just let that idea go. Honestly, your best bet is to just swap in some semi-slick tires and call it a day...

Brian Peterson5 said:Forget about fitting 28" wheels on a Yukon. It’s not happening. Just stick with some semi-slick tires and call it a day...

Are you speaking from experience or just guessing? If there's roughly 26x2.1 right now and still an inch of clearance left, a 700c x 28 should fit fine.

Most 26" MTB frames can handle a 28" wheel if the tire is thin enough.

You can actually fit a 29er wheel into a good chunk of 26" MTB frames if you run a narrower tire.

... I suppose I agree...

Right now I’m running a half-slick 2.0 setup, though I was previously rolling with the 2.1s... I'll have to take a look once I get back home to see how much clearance I actually have left—it might just fit, honestly.

restlesssailor said:Are you speaking from experience here, or just guessing? If there’s roughly 26 x 2.1" clearance left with at least another inch of space before hitting the shoulder, then a 700c x 28mm tire should fit without much trouble.

On most 26" mountain bike frames, you can easily swap in a 28" wheel if you go with a narrower tire.

A 28" wheel has a diameter about 50mm larger than a 26", which means an extra 25.4mm in radius. Do you honestly believe there's enough room for that—not just in terms of fork width, but in terms of vertical clearance? And regarding that Yukon, does it even use V-brakes? If so, where on earth would the brake calipers grab if the rim sits 25mm higher?🤷

The brake discs themselves... look, they aren't even part of the equation here, so 🙂

Dana Reyes5 said:A 28'' wheel is already 50mm wider in diameter than a 26'', which works out to 25.4mm more in radius. Do you honestly believe there’s enough clearance? And I’m not talking about the width of the fork—I mean the radial clearance...

...it really comes down to the specific frame geometry, but on plenty of models, it’s doable. I once worked on a custom Colnago that handled it just fine... though you also have to factor in the tires, and let's face it, MTB rubber is significantly bulkier than road tires...

Dana Reyes5 said:A 28" wheel is 50mm wider in diameter than a 26", which means you're looking at an extra 25.4mm in radius. You really think that's enough clearance? I’m not even talking about the fork width, I mean the actual radius. And about that Yukon—does it even run V-brakes? If it does, where the hell are the calipers supposed to grip if the rim sits 25mm higher?🤷

The Yukon has disc brakes, based on the photo. No issues here.

Look, forget the theory for a second. Just put a 26-inch rim with a 2.2 to 3-inch tire next to a 28-inch rim with a 30mm tire. You’ll see right away that the 26-inch setup isn't actually smaller—that extra rubber makes up for it. Honestly, those two setups end up being almost identical. The 28 might edge it out slightly, but that's about it.

Just dropping this here for anyone who thinks there's no way a 28" tire fits on an average 26" mountain bike frame.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Here’s how it actually looks in person:

vs

And the fools! I wouldn't believe my eyes if I hadn't seen it myself. 😲

Dana White53 said:Honestly, I’m just looking for a bike that works well for cruising around town or maybe hitting some local trails on short trips, but my budget is pretty tight right now :/ I actually really like the idea of going with larger wheels, so I’ll definitely look into that... though I have a feeling it might push me a bit past what I consider "affordable." 🙂

Hmm... that sounds like a better route. But honestly, you don't even seem totally sure what you're looking for yet—whether it's speed, handling, or something else entirely...

Personally, I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on those 28-inch wheels because they don't quite hit that sweet spot of a true touring setup or configuration. A real touring bike usually comes with a different gear range too.

So, I ended up just making things easier on myself by choosing a different path, which was probably the smartest move. 😁

Betty Edwards22 said:Hmm... better, maybe. But you don't even seem to know what you're actually looking for—is it speed? Handling? Who knows...

I couldn't bring myself to go with 28-inch wheels because then it wouldn't really be a trekking bike in terms of its build or setup. A true trekking bike needs those specific gear ratios too.

So, I just smoothed out my own path, and honestly, that was enough for me.😁

How do I "not know" what I want? Please. I want a bike for commuting around town and some shorter trips—and we all know exactly what kind of bike fits that description... low rolling resistance, faster, more agile... You get the idea. Of course I realize a dedicated trekking bike has different gearing and geometry, but look—if I actually had the cash to just buy a high-end, top-tier trekking rig, would I even be asking about converting an old MTB? Wouldn't I?🙂

Beyond that, the geometry on the Yukon actually seems pretty decent for this kind of conversion—certainly better than that other example mentioned above that caught my eye.😁

Betty Edwards22 said:Trekking bikes have different gearing too

Plus, if you swap to smaller tires on those current wheels (like under 1.5), you're losing about 5% efficiency right there.

Besides that, that Yukon has a 22/32/42 front setup, so you can definitely make something work for trekking with that.

Dana White53 said:...

Look, there's another way. If you're done with MTBs for good, just grab new rims and spokes and have a shop build them up. You could basically put that money toward better brakes and hubs instead. Just make sure a 28-inch wheel actually fits your frame first. Even though it might seem like any 26-inch frame can take a 28-inch wheel based on what I said earlier, that's not always true—though it works most of the time.

restlesssailor said:I’m telling you, if you try to run lower tire pressures on current setups—say, dropping them below 30 PSI—you’re basically throwing away about 5% of your power delivery. It just kills that direct feel and makes the car feel sluggish.

On top of that, that Yukon comes with a front gear setup of 22/32/42, which honestly gives you plenty of room to work with if you're looking to rig something up for some serious trekking.

Look, there’s actually another way you could play this. If you aren't planning on hitting any mountain bike trails ever again, you could always just grab some new rims and spokes and have a local shop build them up for you. Theoretically, that would free up enough cash to finally upgrade those brakes and the hub too. The big thing, though—and please make sure you double-check this before you spend a dime—is whether a 28-inch wheel will actually fit in your current frame. Based on what I was saying earlier, it might sound like a 26-inch frame can easily accommodate a 28-inch wheel, but that isn't always the case, even if it works most of the time. Just be careful!

I'd give that a solid 5 out of 10. Honestly, I went through the exact same process myself, but if I had actually pulled it off right this second, I don't know... I definitely wouldn't be feeling that "wow" factor just yet. 😲 To be honest, I don't see any change happening.
And that’s exactly why I keep saying we really need to give some serious thought to how we handle the transfers—once the funding actually hits, of course.

Personally, I didn't see it that way. Looking at my Ford, even just from a glance, it was pretty obvious that those bigger wheels weren't going to fit. 🙄

Patrick King7 said:Pure madness. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. 😲

... and yet nobody believes me either 😳

In reality, you don't even need to swap out both rims—just the drive wheel should suffice. If you use tires with matching diameters, the center of gravity and overall geometry shouldn't shift significantly... though, sure, you’d probably want to upgrade to a larger sprocket to actually feel any kind of difference...

Otherwise, this whole concept of mixing wheel sizes is known out there as "69ers" (usually with a larger front wheel), and brands like Cannondale (and I think Scott too) specifically design bikes that bridge the gap between MTB and trekking wheels...

Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra

Trek 69er

casualharbor9 said:By the way, people call that setup with different wheel sizes "69ers" (usually with a bigger front wheel), and brands like Cannondale—and I think Scott too—specifically build bikes meant to run both MTB and trekking wheels...

That’s the whole point. A 69er needs a larger front wheel. If you flip that logic, it’s gonna be a total disaster.

Superior does something similar too. They even sell a 28-inch wheel set designed specifically for 26-inch MTBs if you want to swap in some hybrid or trekking wheels.